Ministry of Justice

Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service’s (HMPPS) new policy was developed following a fundamental review that involved extensive stakeholder consultation, including with Health partners; a resource impact assessment and a data protection impact assessment.

1) As per 2.1-2.8 of the policy, healthcare is commissioned through the health sector. The role of HMPPS is to ensure appropriate access to healthcare – including information sharing and physical access.

2) a) Medical professional organisations consulted include:

i) NHS England and NHS Improvement (including the central Health and Justice Team, Clinical Reference Groups and regional commissioners)

ii) Local prison healthcare providers commissioned by NHSE/I

iii) Public Health England (PHE)

iv) Public Health Wales (PHW)

v) The Royal College of Midwives

b) Criminal justice non-governmental organisations consulted include:

i) Voluntary sector organisations including Birth Companions, Born Inside, Hibiscus, Barnardo’s and Family Action

ii) Academics including Dr Shona Minson, Dr Lucy Baldwin and Dr Laura Abbott

iii) Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons and Probation (HMIP)

iv) The Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO)

3) Where a contractor fails to implement the policy, contractual action will be taken as necessary. Policy implementation in both public and contracted prisons will be supported by a variety of assurance structures and processes, to monitor compliance. This includes external and independent assurance by HMIP, PPO and OFSTED.

4) A resource impact assessment has been undertaken for public prisons as part of the development of the new Policy Framework. This assessment identified a need for additional funding to support implementation in public prisons, which has been provided.

5) Resource impact assessments were also undertaken for contracted prisons as part of the development of the new Policy Framework requirements. These identified that no additional funding was required to fulfil new policy requirements.

6) National data on pregnancy and births and Mother and Baby Units is published annually as part of the HMPPS Annual Digest: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-april-2020-to-march-2021. Data on abortions and pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage and stillbirth are recorded on healthcare systems as they are medical in confidence.

Information on a prisoner’s caring responsibilities and children living in the community is monitored locally by prison Governors/Directors to ensure appropriate support can be provided to offenders and their families. We are developing changes to the initial reception questionnaire to enable national data collection that can be published.

The Ministry of Justice holds data on prosecutions and court outcomes for modern slavery offences; however, centrally held information in the courts proceedings database cannot identify the exact circumstances of the offence that led to a slavery or trafficking reparation order, for example, to identify that it was issued under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 as a result of a Daesh atrocity. This information may be held on court record but can only be obtained by manually searching court records at disproportionate cost.

We have taken decisive action to ensure the courts have sufficient resources to tackle our outstanding caseloads in the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

We spent over a quarter of a billion pounds on recovery last financial year, making court buildings safe, rolling out new technology for remote hearings and recruiting an additional 1,600 HMCTS staff. We will run each Crown Court site to its fullest, with no limit on sitting days this financial year, so more cases can be heard and waiting times can come down. Following the lifting of social distancing restrictions, we are in the process of fully reopening our existing physical estate. We have also extended 32 of our Nightingale courtrooms until March 2022 to maximise our sitting capacity this year.

As of 17 September 2021, a woman in prison was on average 46 miles from their origin address.

There are complex and wide-ranging issues involved in transferring and locating prisoners, and allocation decisions must reflect both the specific needs and circumstances of the prisoner, including their security assessment, as well as the operating environment and range of services at the receiving prison.

HMPPS is committed to ensuring, where practicable, that prisoners are accommodated as close as possible to their resettlement communities and families. Whilst this is a priority, it is not always possible due to a variety of factors including wider population pressures, or where women have specific sentence planning needs which can only be met at certain establishments.

Around 97% of prisoners have an origin location; i.e. addresses that are recorded in our central IT system. If no address is given, an offender’s committal court address is used as a proxy for the area in which they are resident. This information is included in the data provided above. Those with no recorded origin are typically foreign nationals or those recently received into custody.

The numerical information provided has been drawn from administrative IT systems, which as with any large scale recording system are subject to possible error with data entry and processing.

Sex between prisoners is not permitted. Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service ensure the safety of all prisoners by managing prisoners on a case-by-case basis and consider any relevant risks (including risks to, or from, the prisoner, as well as the risk of self-harm).

The NHS England and NHS Improvement constitution mandates that all healthcare delivered within prisons must be equivalent to healthcare delivered in the community and the fact that a patient is a prisoner should not impair their access to any healthcare they require.

All secure and detained settings therefore ensure that prisoners have access to appropriate contraceptives, which are prescribed or made available as necessary. This applies to both the men’s and women’s estate and includes all prisoners .

There have been no recorded incidents of prisoners becoming pregnant in the male prison estate.

Sex between prisoners is not permitted. Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service ensure the safety of all prisoners by managing prisoners on a case-by-case basis and consider any relevant risks (including risks to, or from, the prisoner, as well as the risk of self-harm).

The NHS England and NHS Improvement constitution mandates that all healthcare delivered within prisons must be equivalent to healthcare delivered in the community and the fact that a patient is a prisoner should not impair their access to any healthcare they require.

All secure and detained settings therefore ensure that prisoners have access to appropriate contraceptives, which are prescribed or made available as necessary. This applies to both the men’s and women’s estate and includes all prisoners .

There have been no recorded incidents of prisoners becoming pregnant in the male prison estate.

Sex between prisoners is not permitted. Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service ensure the safety of all prisoners by managing prisoners on a case-by-case basis and consider any relevant risks (including risks to, or from, the prisoner, as well as the risk of self-harm).

The NHS England and NHS Improvement constitution mandates that all healthcare delivered within prisons must be equivalent to healthcare delivered in the community and the fact that a patient is a prisoner should not impair their access to any healthcare they require.

All secure and detained settings therefore ensure that prisoners have access to appropriate contraceptives, which are prescribed or made available as necessary. This applies to both the men’s and women’s estate and includes all prisoners .

There have been no recorded incidents of prisoners becoming pregnant in the male prison estate.

No mother has been denied a place on a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) in the Women’s Custodial Estate due to lack of capacity since 2017, when current data collection commenced.

Despite the enormous challenges they have faced during the last 18 months, both the Employment Tribunals and Immigration and Asylum Chamber (IAC) remained open throughout the pandemic. Both the employment tribunals and the IAC have adapted to remote ways of working and running hearings virtually, to ensure ongoing access to justice where cases cannot be heard in person. The IAC has also expanded the online Reform service (MyHMCTS) to enable most appellants to engage with the tribunal digitally. We have run ambitious recruitment campaigns across both jurisdictions, to expand our judicial capacity and boost caseworker numbers. This has been bolstered in the employment tribunal by a significant increase in our sitting day allocation for FY21/22, from 30k (FY20/21) to 37.5k (FY21/22).

The information requested, from 1st June 2014, can be found at: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service workforce statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

‘Transforming rehabilitation: a strategy for reform’ was published on 9th May 2013. The National Probation Service (NPS) came into existence on 1st June 2014. The Ministry of Justice do not hold Probation Officer or Probation Service Officers leavers data from the previous Probation Trusts’ for the period between the announcement on 9th May 2013 to the point the NPS was formed on 1st June 2014 or for Community Rehabilitation Companies from the 1st of June 2014 until the services unified in June 2021.

Throughout the pandemic, the Probation Service has worked hard to minimise the disruption caused by COVID-19. It has been keeping the public safe by prioritising accredited programmes for offenders who pose the highest risk of harm and developing alternatives where formal in-person programmes have not been possible. Group work resumed in April.

The Government is also clear that people whose unpaid work requirements have been impacted by the pandemic should work their hours and the Probation Service is working closely with the judiciary and HM Courts and Tribunal Service to extend community orders, where necessary, so hours can be worked.

The Probation Service is committed to increasing recruitment to fill Probation Officer vacancies, particularly in areas with significant local employment market challenges. The Probation Service recruited a total of 1,007 trainee probation officers in 2020/2021 and are committed to recruiting 1,500 trainee probation officers in 2021/2022.

Following the transfer of over 7,000 staff from private sector Community Rehabilitation Companies into the Probation Service at the end of June 2021, there were 4,456 full time equivalent (FTE) Band 4 probation officers in post nationally as at 30 June 2021. This figure is an increase of 844 (23.4%) since 30 June 2020 and an increase of 919 FTE (26%) probation officers compared to 31 March 2021.

In June 2021, there were 637 probation officers and 225 trainee probation officers in post in the London Probation Service. One probation officer joined the Local Delivery Unit cluster Barnet, Brent and Enfield between June 2014 to June 2021. Overall, 50 probation officers joined the London Probation Service between 2014/2015 to June 2021/2022.

The leaving rate for probation officers at the London Probation Service was 7.5% for 12 months to 30 June 2021. Over the past seven years, the leaving rate has varied between 6.1% and 10.9%.

The leaving rate for probation officers at the LDU cluster Barnet, Brent and Enfield was 8.7% for 12 months to 30 June 2021. Over the past seven years the leaving rate has varied between 4.1% and 11.8%.

The first National Probation Service Recruitment & Retention Strategy was published internally to all Probation Service staff in April following extensive engagement with colleagues and stakeholders across Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service.  At the centre of this strategy is our commitment to make sure we have great people, in the right roles, with the resources they need to do their jobs in the probation service.

We are working closely with the facilities management provider Amey to manage any maintenance and refurbishment projects.

We are currently producing a report which covers fire risks, decency and structural integrity of the prison and an outline business case for a fire safety improvement project.

Initially the contractor’s supply chain had a limited number of suppliers, which resulted in cost estimates for work submitted being excessive and these were rejected by the MoJ team. The MoJ has instructed that the supply chain is broadened to include more SME companies to tender for these works. This determination to use SME companies has led to some delays but it means that there are much better procurement options that will provide more effective and value for money solutions.

The local Service Delivery Manager will continue to challenge all costs which they feel are excessive and escalate them to the Regional Estates Manager, who has regular commercial and project meetings with the contractor’s management. The Service Delivery Manager also monitors the on-site performance and will check repairs and any projects to ensure they have been completed and are to the required standard.

We are working closely with the facilities management provider Amey to manage any maintenance and refurbishment projects.

We are currently producing a report which covers fire risks, decency and structural integrity of the prison and an outline business case for a fire safety improvement project.

Initially the contractor’s supply chain had a limited number of suppliers, which resulted in cost estimates for work submitted being excessive and these were rejected by the MoJ team. The MoJ has instructed that the supply chain is broadened to include more SME companies to tender for these works. This determination to use SME companies has led to some delays but it means that there are much better procurement options that will provide more effective and value for money solutions.

The local Service Delivery Manager will continue to challenge all costs which they feel are excessive and escalate them to the Regional Estates Manager, who has regular commercial and project meetings with the contractor’s management. The Service Delivery Manager also monitors the on-site performance and will check repairs and any projects to ensure they have been completed and are to the required standard.

We have purchased two Union flags for our headquarters building since 2019. These have been provided by our Facilities Management provider (Amey) and were both manufactured in the United Kingdom

Information for our HM Prison and Probation and HM Courts and Tribunals Service properties can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

We have purchased two Union flags for our headquarters building since 2019. These have been provided by our Facilities Management provider (Amey) and were both manufactured in the United Kingdom

Information for our HM Prison and Probation and HM Courts and Tribunals Service properties can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The Government continues to support the provision of good quality, victim-focussed restorative justice to help victims cope and recover from the effects of crime.

Under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (Victims’ Code), all victims have the right to receive information about how to access restorative justice services in their local area.

The new Victims’ Code, which was published in November last year and came into force on 1 April this year, includes information which explains what restorative justice is and how it works. As part of the launch of the new Code, the Ministry of Justice engaged in publicity to raise awareness of the Code and victims’ rights therein. Criminal justice agencies also used internal communications to raise awareness of victims’ rights among practitioners.

The Ministry of Justice funds Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to provide victim support services including commissioning restorative justice services to meet local need. Individual PCCs determine the capacity of restorative justice services required and the model of service appropriate for their area. PCCs are also able to utilise other funding streams outside of their MoJ grant for restorative justice.

In addition to the PCC commissioned schemes, the Government-funded national Homicide Service includes access to restorative justice services as part of the package of support it provides to families bereaved by homicide. Further restorative justice capacity is also made available in the youth justice system and by HM Prison and Probation Service.

The Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service are committed to advancing equality and eliminating discrimination, harassment and victimisation, including based on gender reassignment status as defined in section 7 of the Equality Act 2010. The prohibition on discrimination in relation to gender reassignment applies regardless of whether someone has a Gender Recognition Certificate.

Incidents where a prisoner uses incorrect pronouns for another prisoner will be considered on a case-by-case basis, in line with the Prisoner Discipline Procedures policy and the Prison Rules. Prisoners may sometimes make an honest mistake in relation to pronouns and disciplinary action would not usually be appropriate in those circumstances. However, if an officer deems it appropriate to place a prisoner on report, the rule against ‘using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour’ (PR 51 (20) may apply. The adjudicator will weigh each incident on its own merits. The policy stipulates that an offence motivated by another person’s protected characteristic(s) under the Equality Act 2010 is an aggravating factor and may merit referral to an Independent Adjudicator.

As announced in October 2020, a Root and Branch Review of the parole system is currently underway. This review will draw together the reforms and changes that have taken place in the parole system in recent years. It is focusing on issues such as the future constitution of the Parole Board, ways in which to improve the overall transparency of the parole system, the possibility of public parole hearings in some cases and allowing for victims to observe hearings if they wish. This will fulfil our manifesto commitments made before the last general election.

The full terms of reference of the Review can be read here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/parole-system-reform/terms-of-reference

I intend to report on the progress of the Root and Branch Review later this year.

The data HMPPS hold on transgender prisoners (published in the annual HMPPS Offender Equalities Report) is snapshot data and importantly has not historically included prisoners who have a Gender Recognition Certificate, due to legal restrictions. There was no data gathering exercise in 2020 due to the pandemic. HMPPS are actively working on ways to improve the scope and quality of data held on transgender prisoners while still respecting their rights and privacy.

Analysis of accredited programme participation for each year’s transgender offender cohort requires a data matching exercise as these pieces of information are held in separate data sets. A response could only be obtained at disproportionate costs as the analyses would be new and require significant resource to ensure accuracy and reliability.

The then Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice was due to discuss data and other issues with the Counsel General for Wales on 16 September, but the meeting was postponed because of the reshuffle. His successor looks forward to early engagement with the Welsh Government on issues of mutual interest.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Operational system data on the volume of providers holding legal aid contracts at any given time is subject to change due to the internal management and updating of contract schedules, which may impact both real time and historic data.

Civil legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, broken down by category of law enquired about, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

*ceased as separate category

The Ministry of Justice committed to look into the use of custodial remand for youth following a recommendation by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

My officials have concluded the engagement and data collection stages of the review; its conclusions and our next steps will be published in due course.

The Government is already taking action to improve the remand framework and process. The proposals in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill will strengthen the tests applied by the courts to ensure children are only remanded to custody as a last resort and will require courts to record their reasons for any custodial remand.

Sentencing guidelines are developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, which is independent of Parliament and Government.

The Sentencing Council recently consulted on revisions to its child sexual offences sentencing guidelines, which set out the approach courts should take when sentencing cases where no sexual activity takes places or the targeted child does not exist, for instance in police sting operations, as well as a new guideline for the offence of sexual communication with a child. The Council is currently analysing responses to the consultation, and it is anticipated that revised versions of the guidelines will be published next year.

There are currently 1,080 Providers who hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,401 Providers who hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 17th September 2021. Please note for the figures provided that firms may have more than one office.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Operational system data on the volume of providers holding legal aid contracts at any given time is subject to change due to the internal management and updating of contract schedules, which may impact both real time and historic data.

Criminal legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, from September 2012 to September 2021:

There are currently 1,080 Providers who hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,401 Providers who hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 17th September 2021. Please note for the figures provided that firms may have more than one office.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Operational system data on the volume of providers holding legal aid contracts at any given time is subject to change due to the internal management and updating of contract schedules, which may impact both real time and historic data.

Criminal legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, from September 2012 to September 2021:

The ‘fines’ disposal type category presented in the Proven Reoffending Statistics publications does include fines given using the Single Justice Procedure and in open court, provided the associated offence is:

• Recordable

• Committed in England and Wales

• Prosecuted by the police

• Not a breach offence

I am grateful to all who took the time to contribute views to our consultation aimed at making the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme simpler and more accessible.

We are carefully reviewing responses and will aim to publish the Government’s response in due course.

OPG has seen an increase in the time taken to process an LPA since COVID-19 began impacting the workplace. LPAs are paper documents that require a physical staff presence in an office to process and register. Although staff have been in the office throughout the pandemic, the need to comply with social distancing rules reduced the capacity to deal with LPAs.

As government restrictions for England and Wales have gradually eased, OPG have seen an increase in LPA applications which has added to pre-existing backlogs. These issues combined have generated the delays to LPA registrations, which are currently taking up to 20 weeks to process with a current year-to-date average for 2021/22 of 57 working days.

OPG are working hard to reduce the delays and clear the backlog. Steps being taken include:

• Ensuring that there are as many people in the office as possible to process LPAs in a safe way
• Allocating more staff from across the organisation to deal with the registrations of LPAs
• A recruitment drive continues with new staff due to start shortly
• Overtime

I expect the registration timelines to gradually decrease. I appreciate the delays are frustrating for customers and fall below the service standards that OPG aims to deliver.

As part of a wider transformation programme, my department is currently consulting on modernising LPAs, which could provide the opportunity for less reliance on paper, and significantly improve the speed of service.

The Government recognises the value of restorative justice and the benefits it can bring to enable victims to cope and recover, and for offenders to be part of that process.

As part of the core funding provided to Police Crime and Commissioners (PCCs) for victim support services, they are able to commission restorative justice services according to their local need. This year, MoJ has allocated around £64.3m to PCCs for core funding. For information, in 20/21, PCCs spent around £3.7m from their core funding on restorative justice. PCCs are also able to utilise other funding streams outside of their MoJ grant for restorative justice.

In addition, the Government has provided £4.6m this financial year to fund the Homicide Service. This service provides practical and emotional support to families bereaved by Homicide, including access to restorative justice services

I refer the honourable member to the answer given to PQ 45034 dated Monday 13 September 2021.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-09-08/45034

The tables below show the number of cases outstanding in West Yorkshire as at March 2021 in respect of Magistrates cases, Crown Court cases and family cases. We are unable to provide data in respect of the number of victims or defendants waiting for their cases to be heard or data specific to Morley and Outwood constituency. To obtain this data would incur disproportionate costs.

Below are the number of outstanding family cases in the West Yorkshire courts.

Given the very difficult circumstances in Afghanistan, we cannot pursue cases concerning Afghan people in country in the usual ways. The Home Office is logging all the cases it has received, and it is considering how this data will be used in the future. Accordingly, please signpost individuals to gov.uk to check for the latest information about Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy: further information on eligibility criteria and offer details - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) (Afghan citizens’ resettlement scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) rather than seek to pursue cases on their behalf.

The Government has worked at pace to develop and launch the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which will provide a safe and legal route for up to 20,000 Afghans in the region over the coming years, with 5,000 in the first year – one of the most generous schemes in British history.

On Monday 13^th September the Government published a policy statement which set out further details on the policy and operation of the ACRS, and the package of integration support that will be offered to those arriving through the Scheme, published on gov.uk

The Secretary of State for Justice looks forward to meeting Welsh Government ministers in his new role.

His predecessor and his ministerial team were in frequent contact with Welsh Government ministers, the most recent meeting being between Minister Chalk and the Welsh Government’s Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt MS, on 1 July 2021.

The protection of children, particularly those who are most vulnerable, is a priority for this government and this has never been more important than during this period. The family courts were quick to respond to the pandemic and I am extremely grateful for the dedication of family justice professionals at this unprecedented time.

Record levels of judicial sitting days have been listed at the family court in Nottingham throughout the pandemic and these high levels of sittings continue. The court is utilising the new powers introduced via Practice Direction 36, which enables suitable cases to be dealt with via alternative methods other than a court hearing.

In March this year, we launched the £1m Family Mediation Voucher Scheme, to encourage and support separating parents to explore mediation before coming to court. In August, ministers confirmed an additional £800,000 would go towards the scheme, helping around 2000 more families. We want to ensure that every parent is able to resolve their case in the most effective way, including through mediation where safe and appropriate.

We continue to focus on reducing the outstanding caseload by investing in more judicial sitting days and increasing the overall level of disposals. Cases with the most significant safeguarding issues remain our priority, and where suitable, cases are being heard remotely to continue maximising our use of our estate.

We accept that HMP Chelmsford needs to improve and prior to the Urgent Notification, it began receiving specialist support through the Prison Performance Support Programme (PPSP) – which provides intensive support to some of our most challenging prisons.

To date, around £6 million has been invested through the PPSP allowing repairs to address decency, advanced technology to improve security, family ties and additional staffing to support improvement.

We are working hard to reduce self-harm and the number of those taking their lives in custody. Vulnerable prisoners are supported through the ACCT case management and we are currently rolling out further improvements to this framework. We have also given 25,000 new and existing staff self-harm and suicide prevention training to help them better support prisoners with complex needs and refreshed our partnership with the Samaritans who provide the excellent Listeners scheme, which trains selected prisoners to provide emotional support to their fellow prisoners.

There is evidence of progress at HMP Chelmsford during 2018/19 and 2019/20, prior to the pandemic. The April 2019 Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) Independent Review of Progress report noted some positive progress including:

“…reasonable progress in addressing violence, supported by additional national and regional resources” as well as “…good progress in improving the quality of care to those at risk [of self-harm].”

It also noted that the “Governor continued to set a clear vision for the prison and had retained the support of those around her” and that “regional and national resources had been used to good effect”.

The report acknowledged the benefits of additional central investment, including complete refurbishment of two landings, new flooring in cells and communal areas, new showers and new serveries. Since the inspection an x-ray body scanner was also installed at the prison – to prevent the flow of illicit items which fuel instability.

An initial detailed plan of action is being developed in response to the Urgent Notification and will include actions beyond those already agreed under the PPSP. This will outline how we are addressing the immediate concerns at the prison and will be published in due course.

The vast majority of children resettled under the Vulnerable Children Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) were done so as part of a family group. The scheme ended in 2021. The Government’s refugee family reunion policy allows a partner and children under 18 of those granted protection in the UK to join the adult sponsor here, if they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country. This includes those who are part of a religious minority.

All those brought to the UK under Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will have the right to work, access to education and healthcare and be able to apply for public funds. To ensure they will be supported properly, changes will be made to legislation so that, if necessary, people arriving under ARAP and ACRS do not need to meet the habitual residence test.

They will also receive comprehensive integration support as they start their new lives in the UK. A package of support to acclimatise to the UK, learn English, and find work, will enable rapid self-sufficiency and social integration in UK communities.

The vast majority of children resettled under the Vulnerable Children Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) were done so as part of a family group. The scheme ended in 2021. The Government’s refugee family reunion policy allows a partner and children under 18 of those granted protection in the UK to join the adult sponsor here, if they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country. This includes those who are part of a religious minority.

All those brought to the UK under Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will have the right to work, access to education and healthcare and be able to apply for public funds. To ensure they will be supported properly, changes will be made to legislation so that, if necessary, people arriving under ARAP and ACRS do not need to meet the habitual residence test.

They will also receive comprehensive integration support as they start their new lives in the UK. A package of support to acclimatise to the UK, learn English, and find work, will enable rapid self-sufficiency and social integration in UK communities.

Under Operation Warm Welcome, we are taking a cross-government approach to ensuring Afghans arriving in the UK are able to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education and integrate with their local communities.

They will also receive comprehensive integration support as they start their new lives in the UK. A package of support to acclimatise to the UK, learn English, and find work, will enable rapid self-sufficiency and social integration in UK communities.

As part of this, we are creating a portal where people, organisations and businesses can register offers of support. This could include volunteering, offers of employment or to provide professional skills pro bono, including helping those arriving deal with trauma, or offering donations of mobile phones, mobile credit or data, laptops, access to training, clothes and toys. This will complement the Afghanistan housing portal which has been set up to collect offers of additional housing support.

We will also be extending the Community Sponsorship Scheme (CSS) so that friends and neighbours, charities and faith groups can come together to support a family through the ACRS. We will make it easier and quicker for community groups to become sponsors so that more people can play a direct role in the warm welcome we will extend to these new members of our communities.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Operational system data on the volume of providers holding legal aid contracts at any given time is subject to change due to the internal management and updating of contract schedules, which may impact both real time and historic data.

Criminal legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

Civil legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

Civil legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, broken down by category of law enquired about, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

*ceased as individual/separate category

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Operational system data on the volume of providers holding legal aid contracts at any given time is subject to change due to the internal management and updating of contract schedules, which may impact both real time and historic data.

Criminal legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

Civil legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

Civil legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, broken down by category of law enquired about, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

*ceased as individual/separate category

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Operational system data on the volume of providers holding legal aid contracts at any given time is subject to change due to the internal management and updating of contract schedules, which may impact both real time and historic data.

Criminal legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

Civil legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

Civil legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, broken down by category of law enquired about, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

*ceased as individual/separate category

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Operational system data on the volume of providers holding legal aid contracts at any given time is subject to change due to the internal management and updating of contract schedules, which may impact both real time and historic data.

Criminal legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

Civil legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

Civil legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, broken down by category of law enquired about, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

*ceased as individual/separate category